It's like that's a difficult thing like how much is >> it's difficult but I don't think it's a posit and there are a lot of research groups out there that that try to parse out you know and yes there are a million variables going on every school every day. Absolutely. >> Sorry. Please no you were talking about how do we parse out isn't that what we use Mr. Harris to help do for us when we compare ourselves with the the overall state testing process. I'm I'm asking the question. I don't have the answer. >> But when you said that, my thought process went, you know, well, we are making comparisons. We've got red, white, and blue. >> I guess we'd have to figure out though. I'm going to try and paraphrase a little. I think you were saying, and I'm just going to use the example you used with the one Chromebook kind of thing.
Last year I provided both the school committee and town manager with a few minutes to make comments on the budget. This idea is wellreceived so I'm continuing it this evening. First up are Superintendent Jim Adams and school committee chair Lori >> Tossi doesn't actually >> this doesn't actually in writing say that this is the override budget >> because as I said earlier we're not voting the override is not on the ballot or the warrant sorry it's not on the warrant >> the override is not up for discussion this evening >> I think that's decept receptive to the public and I think it's not fair and I think it needs >> we can only speak to the scope of what's on the mark. >> Okay. Well, I'm saying that and I think there's a lot of people in this auditorium who feel that way. >> I I would encourage you, sorry folks, to speak to the select board.
So, uh, something we'll definitely take advantage of in the area, uh, any questions on that. >> Are we looking at the co-eing model like starting at our youngest levels and working up that way? >> Yeah, we would do an analysis of where we are everywhere uh, and then see where where the best leverage is to start and and then work our way from there. It might be that. I don't know, but yes, I mean, >> get it. I see it that way sometimes in in other places I've been. So, it could potentially be that. But, uh we'll see. We'll see what the and and I can keep the board a breast of, you know, what we're learning as we go through those analysis and and where we are starting and why and you know and give that information. >> Definitely. >> Yep. Mhm. Uh business and operations uh facilities is going to give an update this evening, but I would just share that um the CLES fence fence project uh is progressing steadily.
Maybe each school site could take turns helping with messaging. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Roll call. >> I 7G approve work policy 9135. the expanded role of the vice president. So, do I have a motion? >> I move approval. >> A second. >> Okay.
>> Did the Chromebook make the difference in the 4% increase that we had or would we have made the 4% increase anyway >> you had I think was >> and we you know every year especially when we were collecting co money we were trying new things all the time let's try this program let's try this and >> I'm concerned at a time we don't have a good system when we put when we put a new program in place we ought to be able to say every time hey in two years we're going to come back and figure out is this still something we want to continue is this still serve students and and pushes growth. >> Well, we've we've identified um what things do provide benefits that end up with increasing student function. One of the things that I think we identified is in service training for staff in certain it seems as though we've been able to make a connection between in service programs and how the students of those teachers gain from the in service that we're providing the teachers.
>> Mr. Adams, >> good evening and thank you Mr. Moderator. uh growing up in Vermont where town meetings are sacred and are actually state holidays and where citizens come together to discuss major issues with their town including the budget. I appreciate everyone here this evening. So before I begin, I want to take a moment to recognize the reality that many in our community are facing. I understand that these financially challenging times for families, for residents on fixed incomes, and for taxpayers across Ashlin. The rising costs of everyday life are affecting all of us. And decisions about town and school funding do not happen in a vacuum. They directly impact households. I along with the school committee recognize that and we approach this conversation with the understanding and respect that it deserves. At the same time, we also have a responsibility to be transparent about the financial realities facing our school district.
Um additionally, we're addressing uh the aging boilers at at BHS and the roofing needs at WMS and BHS. Um we're finalizing RFPs. We're getting new information on that. Even as we came here this evening, we got some updates on that. So, so those are great and things are in progress. Um, and detailed updates will will be provided by the facilities committee. Um, on the BHS bathroom and safety updates front, um, while we are not, um, we were not selected for the $5,000 for the, uh, through the CARES cooperative grant for, um, vape education, um, we are able through some drip funding that, um, Casey will share with you a little later to still be able to purchase the Halo sensors and the, I would call it contract or software that goes along with that because you need those to run parallel um to be able to install here at BHS.
Do we have to have any discussion? We've been working on this for a while and workshops. >> Workshops. >> I thought it was my idea. >> It was, but we worked on it as a team. >> Sorry. Should we name it? I think just to agenda. >> That's fine. >> I have no comments. >> Well, if we're really going to say whose idea it was, it was it was my idea to actually have the person do this. You decided it should be the vice president. So, >> there we go. Okay. We both get some credit. All right. So, um can I get a full public, please? I >> I eight uh information items a academic achievement report. Superintendent Thompson. Okay. So Stephan's going to help me out and throw that up on the screen. So tonight I put um for tonight's report I put together some I I ready data since we're at the end of the the school year.
Well, I I'll say that when I sat in on the Chico High and LCAP as group, first of all, I wanted I I will say that I felt like the Chico High um group of students had a more diverse uh field than than uh PD. And but they actually commented on uh certain teaching um specific things like the up. It's like the um the thinking classroom I think is what it's called. And being up and moving and not having just to be seated and they they like so my you know they they were enthusiastic about talking about the teachers that did that. And then >> conversely there were other teachers that didn't embrace that at all. And the students had a real difference of opinion about well and a f it was fascinating that there were some student learners that that was not their learning style and that was very uncomfortable to them and they really they really clapped the teachers that were like you know you come in you have this routine you do this that was very comfortable to them and I thought this is this is what we need to know this is what we need to hear but I to your point I think kids do care what kind of inservice training our kids our teachers are are getting and whether or not they think it's effective or not.
Tonight's presentation is intended clearly to outline the challenges, the choices before us, and the potential impact on our students and community. So, tonight I'm presenting the Ashlin Public Schools fiscal year 2027 proposed budget. It's clearly a a synthesized version that is online if you want to look at the whole budget. uh in our process that we've undertaken thus far. But at its core, this is a stabilization budget focused on protecting the student experience while addressing long-standing structural challenges. First, it's important to understand what drives this budget. Like most school systems, 79% of our costs are salaries and benefits, reflecting our investment in the people who work with our students every single day. We serve over 2,800 students across five schools with a total operating cost of about $49 million. This is not a growth budget I'm presenting tonight. It's about correcting how we fund what already exists.
Um through that funding, we'll be able to get 16 uh Halo sensors um which would be four in each of the locker room facilities. So that'll uh take up eight and the remaining eight will go into the restrooms. Um I did speak with um Brookfield Cares uh earlier today and um the cost of the Halo sensors is a little more than initially anticipated just because of not just installation but then the warranties that go with it and the 10-year service contract that goes with it uh to have the software to use it all. Um, so they are going to relook at um their ability to support anything additional beyond the 16. Uh, which could be one more, which would be great, or possibly two more. So, they're going to look into that and get back to me. Um, but they're, um, very encouraged and they really want to support us as much as they can.
So the first slide, well the second slide, the first dash slide shows um I ready reading progress from like so the results from our fall diagnostic to our winter diagnostic to our spring diagnostic. And you'll see that the green line are students performing the percentage of students performing on or above grade level. And then the yellow is one grade level behind and red is two it says two plus so two or more grade levels behind. So you can see the trend there from fall is the first diagnostic, winter is the second and spring is the third. So that's that's encouraging, right? Some good growth there. And so on the next slide, it's the same information just in a different type of graph because I know sometimes reading it in a different format can be helpful. Um, so that's the same information in in those bar graphs for each um diagnostic.
And also to your point, you know, I taught I taught reading at the high school level, which you know that's not enough. You wouldn't think that you're should be teaching reading at the high school level. And yet that was a need. And every year I had to show I had to show that my data supported the fact because it was title one funded and I had to show that look here these are here's where my our kids started. This is the growth they had. I mean, I think that that's a fair thing to say that how are our programs uh effective and then how do we know it and people should be able to say uh it is effective and I'll tell you how >> and and it's not just anecdotally but this is it's data driven. >> Yeah. So like with the building classroom because it would be really easy to go and say hey here's the math teachers who were using this you know strategy and this paradigm here's ones who work and we can just go in and look not even you know call teacher up directly but say hey and here's the scores you know the score growth and score change for those kids to see what works and what doesn't.
A key issue we are addressing is our reliance on school choice funding to pay for ongoing expenses. And that approach is not sustainable. Think of school choice funds as our stabilization funds, folks. That's what we have in the school district. One-time funds that can be utilized for any purpose of education. Once they are expended, they are not brought back into the budget. Making sure we're on the right slides. Thanks, Mike. Uh, this approach, as I said before, is not sustainable. And one of our primary goals this year is to end that practice and to put the district on a stable financial footing. So to do that, we're presenting two paths forward. The first option is a 6.18% operational override, totaling $47.2 million or an increase of $2.75 million. This option stabilizes the budget by moving over $1.1 million in recurring costs into the general fund, fully funding athletics and eliminating our reliance on unpredictable revolving funds.
They just have to look at the financial implications, which they're being wonderful about. So, I can't thank them enough. Um, yeah. So, more to come on that. So, we're definitely we'll have 16 uh those additional two if Brookfield Cares can do it would would kind of conclude all of the bathrooms that aren't just like singles. >> That's what I was going to ask. >> That that's where it would put us with a total of 18. With a total of 16, we still would have made amazing progress. So, we're we're in good place either way. And um >> yeah, >> any other questions? Yeah. >> The only question I have on that um any of the people I gave you, Casey, were they helpful with grants or it's just >> uh there's a lot of so a lot of the I I'm kind of hitting some dead ends.
So you can see from fall to spring um a pretty good increase on students um on or above. still lower than we would like it as far as percentages go. Um but good but growth. So then the next slide is basically just a summary, right? Putting it in words. So um data is positive with good growth and proficiency. Proficiency is you're proficient if you're on or above grade level, right? So, honor above grade level, the number of students performing hon or above increased by 13 percentage points over the year from 27 to 40. One grade level behind, this group saw the largest overall decrease, dropping from 41 to 33, indicating that many students are catching up to grade level standards. And then the two or more grade levels behind, students in the most at risk category ended the year at 27%. improvement from their mid-year peak at 33.
Yes. And that's that's something that I think we can ask staff to do. And I think they would please be it might be um a chore, but I think they would do that chore with a at least a somewhat cheerful heart. I really do believe that. I think our staff wants to to know is it working and is this is this worthwhile. So I like that. And my worry, and this actually relates back to the budget piece, my worry is always that I don't want to I don't want us to be paying for extra things and starting, you know, a new whatever the new fad in education is every four years and then finding out 10 years later still paying for it when there's no evidence that it works, right? That might be going something else. I'm hearing a somehow like and again this this is me spitballing but like something about you know uh doing some not you necessarily but asking for research of I say recent initiatives because you know or something you know we'll figure out recent but you know uh and looking at data and seeing if they're working.
Most importantly, it creates a sustainable long-term foundation. The second option, as you can see, is if an override does not pass. This is a budget of 45.9 million or a 1.44 million increase over FY26. This maintains services in the short term. It continues using $1.1 million of revolving funds for ongoing recurring costs, leaves a $300,000 athletics deficit, and brings us to a fiscal cliff where in 2028, school choice funds are projected to be fully depleted. This will also require the town to draw down significant funds from the stabilization that Mr. Herbert just talked about currently we would have to come back and ask the town for more funding out of the stabilization fund to make our budget balance. It's important to note that 13.2 positions have already been reduced largely through attrition and targeted cuts. These are difficult decisions that we make. When families ask me, "How did you go about getting the budget to where it is, the the dollar value?" We sit and we discuss every one of these positions.
Um there is there has been some state funding available. Um that is still going out. The money is still going out, but the applications were due back in 2023 um in this one grant that I had. Um but fortunately um we do believe that they would qualify under the strip program. Okay. Um because it's health and safety. It allows us to have the bathrooms fully accessible um which is required for you know health codes and and things like that. So um we do think that's a good fit. Um so we'll talk about that a little bit. >> Yeah. I just didn't know if like any of the the people that you're working with right because they said that there was Halo specific grant. So, I didn't know if you had heard back from any of them. >> Not in particular. Not No, but I'll keep looking.
The most substantial progress occurred between winter and spring where the prof proficiency jumped by 9%. Any questions on the math? So guess what? I did the same exact thing for math. So that's what that next slide is. um over the three diagnostics and then showed it again with the bar graph. Um we've talked about this a lot. We should continue to talk about it. Our percentage of proficient students in math is significantly lower than I think all of us would want to see it. Again, there was growth. Um but we clearly have a lot of work to do there. Um we are in the works of a new math curriculum. We had our third math curriculum committee meeting today where we saw a demo of a um envision. It's the name of the curriculum. They also sent samples and so those were distributed and um they also gave us access for students to go on for students for teachers to go on and look at the site and print out some sample lessons and such.